The meeting of two bearers of Darkness
by bmidd111
Summary: Young Kai Takashi, has a problem. His Crest is that of Darkness. And we all know how TK feels about Darkness. Because of this, he can't conect with any of his peers, or even his own parents. But their is someone who knows what he's going through. Another bearer of darkness from another world. Koichi Kimura and his twin end up coming to help on orders from the celestials.
1. Prolouge

Koji Minamoto, the former Legendary Warrior of Light was walking with Koichi Kimura, the one-time Legendary Warrior of Darkness. They were going to visit their mother. Koji and Koichi were twin brothers, however their father had separated from their mother when the two were just babies. Then their father had remarried. Giving Koji a Stepmother. Until the previous year, the twins had no idea that the other even existed. It was only thanks to a lucky and unlucky twist of fate that the boys ended up meeting. Koji, along with hundreds of other children had been called to another place called "The Digital World", which was another world that was connected to theirs. It was there that the five children had ended up becoming creatures called Digimon. These specific Digimon were known as: "Legendary Warriors". As Legendary Warriors, the five special Children were able to become very powerful.

The five children were, their leader Takuya Kanbara, who could, through the process of 'Spirit Evolution' become the warriors of Flame; the Human Spirit Agunimon, and the Beast Spirit BurningGreymon. The Second-in-command, Koji himself, who could become the warriors of Light; the Human Spirit Lobomon and the Beast Spirit KendoGarurumon. JP Shibayama, the oldest of the group was the warrior of Lightning: Beetlemon for his Human Spirit and MetalKabuterimon as his Beast Spirit. The youngest member of the group was an eight year old boy named Tommy Himi. He was the Legendary Warrior of Ice, with his Human Spirit Kumamon and his Beast Spirit; KorIkakkumon. The only girl of the group was Zoe Orimoto, who was half Japanese and half Italian. Zoe possessed the Human Spirit of Wind Kazemon and the Beast Spirit Zephrimon. The last member of the group had been Koji's brother. Koichi was the only one who hadn't come to the Digital World by the Digimon called Trailmon like the others.

He'd been following his brother that day, trying to work up the courage to talk to him, but had missed the elevator at Shibuya Train Station, that took his brother and Takuya to the underground Station where the Trailmon were waiting. So he tried to go to the basement via a stairway, but had tripped and fallen, ending up in a coma, while his spirit was drawn to the Digital World. One of the three Celestial Digimon who had been Corrupted by evil named Cherubimon met him there, then used Koichi's feelings of sorrow, betrayal and anger that he felt for Koji for having a seemingly perfect life without him and their mother with their father and his Stepmother, to twist the boys feeling and thoughts, erasing Koichi's memories of ever being human and forcefully possessing him with the Corrupted Spirit of Darkness, thus turning him into Duskmon.

Thankfully, Koichi slowly got his memory back after meeting his brother again after a year of being trapped as Duskmon in the Digital World. The two fought against each other over and over again, as Koji was Light and Koichi was Darkness. This battle was fueled by Cherubimon, who wanted "his dark warrior" to destroy the Light. Eventually after some help from Lady Ophanimon and Lord Serraphimon, the third Celestial Digimon, who had been reduced to a Digiegg, Koji managed to defeat and purify his brother's Spirit (literally). Koichi was freed from evil and became the True Warrior of Darkness: Lowemon. After being freed and facing Cherubimon, Koichi swore that he would never serve the Former Celestial Angel again when Cherubimon tried to convince him that the Spirit of Darkness chose him because he was evil.

But thanks to what Patamon (who had previously been Seraphimon) had told him: that Darkness doesn't have to be evil unless you choose to let it be, Koichi proclaimed that he would never serve on the side of evil again, and that he would rather die before he betrayed Koji. It was then that his brothers D-Tector, (his Digivice) emitted such a bright white light that silhouetted the Dark twin. That was when a D-Tector belonging to the Dark twin appeared and the purified Spirits of Darkness entered into it. That was the first time that Koichi transformed into true Warrior of Darkness. He joined his brother and fought for the fate of both the Digital and the Real World. Now both boys were back in the real world after having saved both. Koichi had brought Koji to see their mother, and the Light twin had brought her flowers. He'd also given flowers to his Stepmother. While he still loved his birth mother, he knew that his Stepmother loved him as well, so he decided to give her a chance. Today was another day that the two boys were going to visit their birth mother. The woman was often sick, and had trouble taking care of herself. So the twins had visited the shops and bought groceries to take to the blue-haired woman. Since returning from the Digital World, life had gotten much better for every member of the Legendary warriors.

Suddenly their phones gave off that sound that both boys knew by heart. Instantly they had them out and in their hands. One each screen was the symbol of Lady Ophanimon. Koji and Koichi dropped their shopping; was the Digital World in danger again!? "Lady Ophanimon! What is it? is something wrong in the Digital World?" Koichi asked worriedly. A voice soon came from their mobile's, _"children, I apologize for the short notice, but you are needed desperately in a world aside from our own"_ the angel's voice replied. Koji frowned, "what? What do you mean?" he asked, trying to remember to be polite to one of the gods of the Digital World. _"There is no time to explain, but this is something only you can do, the powers of Light and Darkness are required for this task"_ Ophanimon explained. _"Find a computer, hold your D-Tectors up to the screen and say: Digi-port open"_. Koichi frowned in confusion, "but my lady, our D-Tectors returned to being phones after we returned here" the boy explained politely.

Suddenly the Mobile's they were holding began to squeal louder and were engulfed in light. When the light dissipated, both boys were shocked and elated to see their D-Tectors once again. Slowly the screens switched between Lobomon and KendoGarurumon on Koji's and from Lowermon to JagerLowermon on Koichi's D-Tector. "Lobomon, KendoGarurumon!" Koji cried happily. Koichi smiled, "I missed you Lowermon, JagerLowermon" he said softly. The two boys turned to each other, "we should go find a computer Koichi" Koji said seriously. The Dark twin frowned, "what about our Kaa-San?" he asked. "The last time we went to the Digital world, it was only about two hours between when we left and when we came back, so if we leave now, we might end up getting back in less time or the same amount of time, but whatever happens, if we are needed for something, then I think we should go" Koji replied, "I know our time with Kaa-San is important, and you know how much I value that time. But you also know that when Lady Ophanimon calls us to do something, it usually means that it is important- right?" he asked.

Koichi took a breath and nodded, "you're right, and if this really does require Light and Darkness together, then we're the only ones who can do it" he agreed. The two brothers quickly ran to Koichi's house. Upon reaching their destination, Koichi wrote a note to their Mother, while Koji started up the computer. When everything was ready, the two stood in front of the computer. They looked at each other, but both trusted Lady Ophanimon, so they held their D-Tectors out towards the computer screen **"Digi-Port open!"** they called at the same time. A bright light engulfed the twins and they found themselves drawn into the computer screen.

 ** _Ḓ_**

The Digidestined were currently in a nice, peaceful clearing in the Digital World, while their children, along with their Digimon were all playing together nearby. All except Takaru Takashi Jr, or "Kai" as most people called him. Kai was the son of Takaru Takashi Senior, or "TK" as he was known to everyone and Hikari "Kari" Takashi, formerly Kamaiya. He had a twin sister that he spent most of his time with, but today he felt more like sitting in the shade and reading than playing soccer. His sister's name was Misa Jun, or MJ as she liked to be called most times. She was currently playing with their cousins, Taiachi Kamaya Jr, or "Kam" who was the son of their uncle Tai, who the younger boy was named after, and Alex Ishida, their Uncle Matt and Aunt Sora's daughter and oldest child. Her younger brother Jonathon, being only four years old, was playing with his partner Digimon Tsunomon and some toy cars near his mother. Also part of the game, was Davis Motomiya's son Danjuro, or "Dan" who was the second oldest Digidestined of their group and the current leader, since Kam was only eight years old while the other boy was 11 and the son of the second generations leader.

Yolei and Ken Ichijouji's three children were all doing their own thing. Their oldest daughter, Miyako, or Miya was talking to Izzy and his daughter Lexy Izumi about computers, with their Digimon beside them. Sam Ichijouji was talking to his partner Minomon, while his baby brother Reith, with his baby partner Leafmon watching him was rolling around on the ground and gumming his Digivice. Thankfully the object was too big for him to swallow, and too sturdy to be damaged by drool. Michal and Mimi Washington and their two sons, Donnie and Jessie were doing their own thing. Jessie was often very quiet and just liked to do his own thing, but he did spend a lot of time with his partner Tanemon. His older brother Donnie had a Koromon like Kam, but with their different personalities, Izzy speculated that this meant the two boys Digimon would have completely different Evoluton lines. Joe's son Cameron Kido was fussing over one thing or another, though Joe seemed to be trying to get the boy to calm down.

After all, he had gotten much more responsible over time, and much more fitting of his Crest. Cody's daughter Fernanda was bugging her father about something again, while her Upamon was trying to talk to her. As Kai looked up from his book and over everyone, he frowned at the thought of the crests. Almost everyone of his friends and cousins shared their crest with their parent. Even his sister had the crest of Light like their Mama. All except for him and Fernanda. Unlike TK, he didn't have the crest of Hope, Fernanda did. But he. Kai clenched his fingers around his book at the thought. His crest- his Tokomon looked up at him in concern, "Kai" she said sadly. Suddenly the blond boy gasped quietly and looked up at the sky. Tokomon flinched at his sudden movement, "Kai? What's wrong?" she asked. "Did you feel that?" he whispered. His partner frowned, "feel- what?" she asked. "Darkness-" Kai hissed, hand clenching the area of his shirt that hid his Crest from view. Tokomon frowned. The Takashi family had a very bad history with the forces of evil and darkness. Both parents had had traumatizing and terrifying encounters with evil, with most of these evils using the power of darkness to enact their evil plans.

That's why it was so hard for all of them to understand why Kai was given the Crest of Darkness. Why would Darkness be needed at all, along with Light, Courage and all the other _good_ Crests. It never was before? When asked, Genai and his people merely told them that a balance was needed. If Light existed, so did Darkness have too. They said that as long as light was by his side, the Kai's Crest could be used for good instead of evil. Despite this advice, and despite knowing that their son wasn't evil, both parents were still wary, especially TK. This not only put a strain on their family life, but also confused and hurt Kai, mainly because ever since he got his Crest, his Papa has been avoiding him. Nothing obvious, but saying that he has work to do when ever Kai tries to talk to him, going tense and quiet every time someone mentions Kai's Crest or even just refusing to acknowledge that he has any kind of problem at all. This all led to Kai hating his Crest and himself because he feels like his father hates him for it.

He doesn't understand why he had to be the holder of Darkness instead of the bearer of Hope like his Papa. He's terrified that one day he'll end up becoming evil like all the monsters their parents had to face when they were kids, and then hurt someone that he loves. Terrified that one day, it'll be everyone else against him, and he'll end up hurting them or worse. He can't talk to anyone about this. None of the other kids understand, and neither does his sister, or his cousins. His parents are defiantly out. The only one he _can_ talk to is his Digimon partner, and even that can only help so much. So many time he wished that he had someone to talk to, someone who has the experience to help him. All the other kids can go to their parents with questions about their Crests except for him. He was so scared and confused. And lonely. Even his twin sister held little comfort for him. After all, what could Light know about Darkness? Even so, they were still very close. Tokomon watched as Kai walked up to the forest surrounding the park. Someone, someone needed help. Someone, familiar. He had to find out who was calling out for him.

"Kai?" the small, white Digimon asked in concern. "There's someone out there Tokomon. Someone who needs my help. I don't know who, but- they feel, familiar- like I know them but I forgot" the blond boy said softly. Kai walked quietly through the trees. The silence around them was almost purposeful, like the Digital World itself was holding its breath until Kai found whatever it was that was calling him. Moving through the trees, Tokomon suddenly gasped, "Kai, do you see that!" she demanded, pointing to the side with one forepaw. Kai turned to look where his partner was pointing and gasped in horror. A boy, looking to be a few years older than him with short black hair was laying on the ground. His red long-sleeved shirt and green button up had a large cut in them, along with his side, where blood could easily be seen staining the green fabric. "Oh god!" Kai cried, rushing over to the boys side, and quickly getting to work.

Though Joe Kido wasn't one of his blood Uncles, he did teach him enough about what to do if someone was hurt that he knew what to do in this situation. Quickly tearing off the boy's button up, he checked the seriousness of the wound. The gash was long and deep, but not too wide. He pushed the larger boy onto his uninjured side and rolled up the jacket. Then he pressed the fabric as tight as he dared to wound so the boy wouldn't bleed out. Then he turned to Tokomon who was watching with large, worried eyes, "Tokomon, go back to the others and tell Dr Kido that there is a boy here who is severely injured with a deep gash in his side and he needs immediate care, then lead him here, understand?" he ordered, all trace of his normal quiet, reserved boy long gone. Tokomon could tell that his partner and friend was dead serious about this. The small Digimon nodded and hurried off to do as asked. Kai did his best to keep the boy stable while he waited, but he must have shifted or something because the black-haired boy woke up with a groan.

"Wh- where-?" he began softly, "it's going to be okay," Kai said, saying what the doctor had taught him to say in situations like these. When someone was badly injured like this and had the potential to bleed out, one of the first things to do if the patient was awake was to try and keep them calm. The calmer they were, the less they would move and the less they would bleed. "You're safe now, my friend has gone to get my one of my parents friends, he's a doctor, he'll be able to help you" the blond spoke clearly. The black-haired boy squinted his eyes, looking around almost feverishly, "where- where is he?" he moaned. Kai frowned, "my Uncle?" he asked. The boy shook his head, "my brother, I have to find my brother, ahh!" the mysterious boy had begun getting worked up and tried to move away, but the pain in his side had been too much, "hey, stop that! you're badly hurt and I'm barely keeping you from bleeding out right now!" he snapped. The older boy stopped moving.

Kai smiled, "that's better. Now, you say you have a brother, and that he should be somewhere around here too?" he asked. The black-haired boy nodded, "he should be," he began softly, "he looks just like me except he has longer hair that's tied into a wolf's tail. He'd be wearing a bandanna too I think, his name is Koji" just then Joe came rushing through the trees with his medical bag in hand, Tokomon on his head and Gomamon carried in one arm. "Over here Dr Kido!" Kai called. The Doctor hurried over and knelt down next to the still-unnamed boy. Kai moved aside to give him space to work. "Good job Kai, I knew giving you those First-Aid lessons was a good idea" Joe murmured to him. As Tokomon crawled back over to him and Gomamon sat next to his partner, Kai remembered, "Dr Kido, this boy said that he had a brother name Koji, but I have no idea where he might be" he explained.

Joe nodded, "go get your father and Uncle Matt, Gabumon should be able to find the other boy and your father can have Patamon Digivolve if necessary" he replied while still working on the unnamed boy. The blond boy nodded, "right!" and quickly ran back to the others to do as asked. When he got there, he found all of the other kids back with their parents, who were looking worried. "Papa, Uncle Matt!" he called. Everyone looked over at the sound of his voice, before their worried looks turned to part relief, "oh Kai, you're okay!" his Mama cried. Kai nodded as he lent on his knees and panted, "Papa, Uncle, *pant* I need your *pant* help!" he cried. Quickly explaining the situation, the five boys and three girls, as Kari had decided to come as well, just in case, and of course that meant that Gatomon had to come also headed back into the forest to look for the boy named Koji. Gabumon used his sense of smell to find any other injured people within the forest, while Kai held Tokomon tightly.

He couldn't imagine what he'd do if anything were to happen to MJ. His sister was everything to him, his best friend and other half. Well, aside from Tokomon of course. Soon they were led by Gabumon to a fairly high tree. Looking up, Kari barley kept herself from screaming. Stuck on one of the higher branches was a boy with long black hair tied into a wolf tail. He was facing downwards so everyone could see his face. He was very young, with his hair undone and hanging around his face. But aside from the height he was stuck at, there was another reason for Kari to be afraid. The boy had a large bloody gash on his head, staining the hair nearest to it and sticking it to the side of his head. "Patamon quickly!" TK cried, as his partner leapt from his shoulder and the light of Digivolution surrounded him as TK's Digivice glowed. "Patamon, Digivolve to… Angemon!" the Angel Digimon cried as his form settled. Angemon flew through the branches with care and up to where the boy, Koji lay.

Checking him over, as he knew that it was bad for most humans to be moved with a head injury, he decided that it would be safer either way if the boy was on solid ground instead of dangling from a very unsteady looking tree branch 30 meters in the air. So, very carefully and gently, Angemon picked up the boy, Koji and lifted him from the tree branch. As he came back down, Joe and Gomamon came over, the Doctor walked up carrying the other back-haired boy who didn't have a name yet. "Hey Joe, we found the other boy, he looks like he hurt his head" Angemon explained. Joe nodded, "right then, let's get both of them back to the others and then I can check over the other boy, Koji, wasn't it?" the blue-haired man asked. The Angel Digimon nodded. After Joe had done all he could for where they were, it was unanimously decided to take both brothers to the hospital for proper treatment.

Koichi slowly woke up to a white ceiling, the smell of medicine and disinfectant and the beeping of machines. A hospital. He'd been in one long enough after his first trip to the Digital World to recognise the signs of one anywhere. _'What the heck happened to me?'_ he thought in confusion, _'and where's-'_ the boy gasped and shot straight up in the bed, "Koji!" he cried, before cringing in pain and looking at his side, where blood was leaking through formerly white bandages. "You won't want to do that" an adult voice said from nearby. Koichi looked up and found himself staring at a man with short auburn coloured hair and brown eyes leaving against the wall. The man smiled, "your brother is fine thanks to my brother-in-laws, sister and Nephew, his injuries have been treated and for the moment he's resting" the man explained.

Koichi gave a sigh of relief and relaxed, "oh thank god, I was so worried," he replied, closing his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them, "thank you for helping us, my name is Koichi Kimura, and my twin brother is Koji Minamoto" he introduced himself and his brother, since by _resting_ , he assumed the man meant being kept unconscious so he could heal. The man raised a brown eyebrow, before smiling and shaking the black-haired boy's hand, "Taiachi Kamiya, but everyone calls me Tai, it's nice to meet you Koichi-Kun" he replied cheerfully. The Warrior of Darkness smiled back and shook the man's hand, "nice to meet you Kamaiya-San" he replied. Suddenly he realised something and his eyes widened, releasing Tai's hand and searching around frantically for something. "Looking for something?" the brown-haired man asked. "I'm looking for my D-Dector, I can't find it" Koichi replied.

Tai frowned, "you mean your strange Digivices? My friend Izzy is looking them over, but he'll get them back to you soon,". Upon seeing the worried look the boy gave at that statement, the adult amended with, "he'll be careful, Izzy's the smartest guy I know, much smarter than most other scientists even, he's not gonna break 'em" he explained. Koichi released a silent sigh of relief, before he noticed something. A little boy with blond hair was peeking through the slightly open door, "hey, are you okay?" he asked, tilting his body to see better. The boy gasped but opened the door when the man turned around to look, "hey Kai, what's up?" he asked with a smile. The boy, Kai, looked sheepish, but straightened, "Mai-Oba-San is looking for you Oji-San" he replied quietly. Tai smiled, "then I better get going huh? Thanks Kai" he said with an affectionate rub of the head. Kai pouted slightly, but kept quiet. Once the adult was gone, the blond turned to look at the older boy on the bed.

After a short staring contest, the black-haired boy smiled and held out his hand again, "Koichi Kimura, nice to meet you" he said cheerfully. Kai frowned as he looked the boy over. Why was this kid so familiar? It wasn't his looks, but rather something about him. Some sort of instinctual drive inside him led him to this boy- as though it wasn't his mind that knew him, but rather- his spirit. Eventually, Kai smiled back and took Koichi's hand, "Takaru Takashi Jr, but everyone calls me Kai, it's nice to meet you Koichi-San" he replied. The other boy shook his head, "please, no 'San' it makes me feel old- I'm only Twelve going on Thirteen you know" Koichi replied politely. Kai tilted his head, "alright then Koichi Senpai" he replied. The Warrior of Darkness looked confused, "why Senpai?" he asked. Kai shrugged, "it just felt right," he replied. Koichi looked harder at the blond. He could feel something about him. Something familiar, but it was a lot weaker than he was used to. Suddenly his eyes widened. Darkness. He could feel Darkness on this boy. Given it was the pure kind like his, but still.

How was that possible? _He_ was the Warrior of Darkness. So how could this boy- Suddenly he flinched as he remembered Lady Ophanimon's explanation of why they had to come here: _"There is no time to explain, but this is something only you can do, the powers of Light and Darkness are required for this task"_. This boy held Darkness inside of him. And it seemed like Kai-Kun could feel his Darkness too and instinctively called him Senpai. An uncomfortable silence fell on the two boys. Kai shifted awkwardly, needing something to break the tension, "you know, I have a twin sister!" he blurted. Koichi blinked at him, as the boy blushed, before shaking his head, "her name is Misa Jun, but everyone calls her MJ. She's really great, cheerful and bright and caring," Kai smiled softly, "she's always there for me when I need her" he continued quietly, unconsciously bringing his hand up to where his Crest lay hidden under his shirt. She always believed in him, no matter what his Crest was. MJ was the best sister ever.

Koichi smiled as well, "yeah, I feel the same about my twin brother. Koji's not very sociable around strangers, and always keeps his guard up. But if he's with our friends he can be very open and kind- in his own way at least." The boy's smile turned sad, "even after I did all of those horrible things, he still loved me and forgave me" he whispered. Kai blinked. Horrible things? He wasn't about to ask about it to Koichi's face, because he didn't seem in any mood to want to, but he couldn't help but wonder. Meanwhile Koichi's mind had gone back to all of the horrible things he'd done as Duskmon. All the deaths he'd caused. All the destruction and suffering. He'd even tried to kill his own brother multiple times! Tears began to form in his eyes as his nightmare flashed in his mind. All those horrible cruel things, how could he ever hope to be forgiven! "Koichi Senpai?" the younger boy's voice snapped him out of his progressively dark thoughts and he looked up at him. Kai was frowning worriedly at him, "what's wrong Senpai? Why are you crying?" he asked softly.

The Dark twin then realized that he indeed had tears streaming down his face. He quickly reached up and wiped them away, "I'm fine, I'm just really worried about Koji, that's all" he replied. Well, it wasn't a lie, really. He _was_ worried about his twin, more than anything, but still. The memories and guilt from the things he did when he was corrupted and under Cherubimon's control wouldn't leave him alone. He still had nightmares about it. His year from hell. Kai seemed to know there was something wrong, but left him to his privacy. He smiled, "do you want me to check on your brother for you? I don't mind" he asked. Koichi nodded slightly, "yes, thank you, I'd appreciate it" he replied. That was when a Nurse came in, "Koichi-Kun?" she asked. The older boy looked up at her, "yes?" he asked. "It's lunchtime, you can talk to your friend some more later" she replied, bringing a tray with food in. The Kimura smiled, but internally he was grimacing. He was used to hospital food. After his "death" he had had to stay in the hospital for a month so that the doctors could run checks on his health.

His brother and Mother had often come to visit him during his stay, but the food had been awful. But he was so happy to actually be alive and flesh and blood again, that he hadn't complained once about the meals. Even so, hospital food was defiantly not his favorite. Kai waved as a tray was set up for him on his bed, "Bye Senpai, I'll let you know how your brother is when I come to visit you next time, okay?" he said as he left the room. Koichi waved, before getting ready to face his new challenge.

 ** _Ḓ_**

Kai, MJ, TK and Kari were now going to visit Koji so that they could let Koichi know how he was during their next visit. Unfortunately he wasn't awake as the doctors wanted to keep him out of it while his head healed. MJ noticed how quiet her twin was since meeting Koichi. Of course he was quiet most times, but right now he seemed to be lost in thought instead. She wasn't _that_ worried. Since finding Koichi, Kai had seemed to be more thoughtful. She couldn't deny that she was curious as well. After all, they had no Digimon Partners as far as anyone could tell, or at least none that anyone could find, plus it seemed that Koji at least had fallen out of the air, what with having been stuck unconscious in a tree.

But Kai seemed to be drawn to that Koichi boy more than was normal. Usually, her brother would avoid contact with pretty much everyone if he could help it. The two of them spent the most time together, as twins, but Kai didn't spend as much time with her as you'd think. He was a quiet boy, who liked his space as well as peace and quiet. He preferred sitting by himself in his room reading a book or going on the computer, and while he never protested to spending time with her, or their parents, or even everyone else, he just always seemed so distant, no matter how cheerful he was with everyone else. The only one he seemed to continuously accept the presence of was his partner Tokomon. Maybe it was because of his Crest and its meaning, but even before Kai was given the Crest of Darkness, he was always just as quiet and self isolated as ever. MJ understood liking your own space and peace and quiet, and it wasn't like she hated her brother for his Crest of anything. But she just wished he'd talk to her more. They were twins! Didn't Kai know that when he kept everything inside and tried to do things on his own that hurt him, weather it was physically, emotionally or mentally, she could feel the pain too?

Uncle Joe had even written a medical paper about twins and how things worked between them. Besides, aside from everything else, she was Light and he was Darkness. Even if it _was_ his job to protect her, like he seemed to think, it was _her_ job to stay by his side. She could feel it. Soon they were led by a Nurse to the room the other boy, Koji was staying in. "Now, we've had to sedate him to give his wounds time to heal, because when he woke up before, aside from telling us his name, Minamoto-Kun was almost hysterical about getting to his brother. So please, try to keep quiet during your visit" the woman explained. When they were let inside the room, MJ saw the boy named Koji they had come to visit. He looked a lot like Koichi had, but he had longer hair, which was currently unbound and splayed across his pillow like a black waterfall.

His head seemed to have stitches and other parts of his body were wrapped with bandages. His left hand had an IV drip in the back of it, probably to give him whatever medicine they used to keep him unconscious. His face wasn't peaceful looking though. There were slight worry and frown lines clearly seen on the boys face, probably from constant worry for his brother. From what she could tell right now, this Koji boy didn't seem like the type to take it easy. He looked much more like a serious person would, heck, she had seen a lot of adults with stress lines and stuff, but this was the first time she ever saw a kid like her who, even unconscious looked so mature. But there was also something about him. MJ could feel a light coming from Koji, just like she could feel coming from Mama and herself every day. It was bright and strong and- what was that word? She was sure she had read it somewhere in one or more of Papa's books. Looking around at her family, she could tell that her Mama could feel the light coming from the boy as well.

Papa seemed to have relaxed since they got here. But Kai looked conflicted. She nudged him. Her brother looked over at her, "what's wrong?" she whispered. The blond boy frowned, "I can feel his light, like I can feel yours and Mama's" he replied just as quiet, "but Koji-San's light feels- different, cold" Kai answered, looking back at the boy on the bed. MJ furrowed her eyebrows and turned back to Koji. Her brother was right. It was a much colder light than her and Mama's bright and warm one.

As the family left the hospital to head home, which was thankfully not far enough away to need them to drive, Kai turned to his father, "Papa, can I come visit Koichi-Senpai again tomorrow? I promised I'd let him know how his brother was" he asked. TK nodded, "sure, just make sure you tell us before leaving tomorrow, okay?" he replied with a smile. Kai nodded, smiling, "thank you Papa!" he said happily. Kari frowned, "did you clear this visit with me, young man?" she asked sternly. Kai faltered, "s-sorry Mama, I-" he began nervously, before his mother shook her head, her frown melting into a grin "don't worry, I was only teasing, of course you can visit Koichi-Kun tomorrow, I'll even bake a few 'Get Well' muffins for you to take in" she replied. Kai smiled, "really? Thanks!" he exclaimed. The four Digimon who were following along behind looked at each other, "you ever got the feeling that were more like a fifth wheel sometimes?" Tokomon asked Gatomon.

The cat Digimon shook her head, "nah, they're just having a conversation that doesn't have that much to do with us at the moment" she replied. And so the family of eight continued their way home, unknowing that evil was just waiting for it's chance to strike at the two bearers of Darkness.

To Be Continued


	2. Chapter 1

It had been a few weeks since Koji and Koichi had traveled to the other world and were found by TK and Kari's son. Now both boys were healed enough to leave, but here came the problem. They had nowhere to stay. Eventually Koji managed to explain this to Takashi-San, and he and his wife Hikari had proclaimed that they'd be happy for them to stay with their family. Now all that had to be done was for the family to get their and the hospital forms to be signed. The hospital wasn't too far from where their new temporary house was, but apparently Hikari-San had work today, so they had to wait for Takaru-San instead. Koichi sat quietly on the couch in the lobby with his brother beside him. Koji unfortunately was in a bad mood today, and having to wait for their "Foster father" to pick them up was straining the last of the other boy's patience.

The hospital staff had agreed to let them stay with Takashi-San, on the condition that he and his family foster them, as they had no "known" family. Koji was upset by this. He was willing to accept his step mother and call her "mom" and be with his birth mother and call her "mother", but living with a bunch of strangers and having to consider them family was not something he was comfortable with. This was part of the reason that Koji had so little patience with the man. Koichi sighed, "Koji, please sit down, I know you're upset, but what did you want us to do? Live out on the street while we try and stalk Kai-Kun?" he asked. His brother didn't answer. The Dark Twin closed his eyes again and took his D-Tector out of his pocket. Lowermon stared up at him. "At least they gave us back our D-Tectors pretty soon, but that Izzy guy seemed intrigued by them," he turned back to look at Koji, "do you really think that it's true? Digimon can exist here without causing damage to the world with their presence?" he asked.

When there was no answer, Koichi looked up again, "come on Koji, stop trying to wear a hole in the floor and relax- I think this would be a good time for us to talk about how we're going to do this" the Dark twin said. "Do what?" Koji asked, sounding distracted. "Uh, what do you mean 'do what?' Complete Lady Ophanimon's mission?" he whispered, looking around to make sure no one heard him. The long-haired boy stopped and stared at the floor for a moment, before looking up at his brother. After a moment, he sighed, "fine, I guess that is something we should probably talk about" Koji replied. He went and sat down next to his brother. "So, no one has said anything, but I think the person we're looking for is Kai" the Kimura whispered. Koji furrowed his eyebrows, "are you sure?" he asked. Koichi nodded, "it's not as strong as mine, but I can feel Darkness surrounding his heart. Not evil mind you, just Darkness, like me" he confirmed.

He looked down, "I think that's why he was drawn to me and was able to find me in the forest after we just got here. He sensed my Darkness. Not to mention that he instinctively called me Senpai. I think he can feel it, at least a little." The older twin explained. Koji nodded, "I felt something like that after he came to visit me too. But I just thought it was residual energy from you. Your aura from being a Digimon is stronger than most of us, being that you spent a full year bonded to your Spirit before we met, not to mention you were bonded Spirit to spirit, leaving a stronger aura than otherwise. But maybe it wasn't just from you. Maybe the Darkness that I was sensing really _was_ from him" he replied. Koichi scowled slightly, "his name is Kai" he replied softly. They sat in silence for a moment, "so, after we leave, we need to keep an eye on that kid, while avoiding suspicion" Koji said to himself. The shorter-haired boy sighed silently.

It seemed not being able to see their Mother was even more stressful for his brother than it was for him. After all, Koji was reverting to the boy who never showed his feelings or tried to connect with people that he had been before he had freed him from the corrupted Spirits of Darkness. He was tense, and just saw this as a job that he wanted to complete as fast as possible. He hoped that he could get Koji to relax while they were here. Suddenly the doors to the hospital opened and Takashi-San walked in with his two children. Koichi took this time to get a closer look at the bearers of Light and Darkness from this world. Kai and MJ walked closely together, and while the girl was smiling brightly, the boy was staring at the ground with a closed off look on his face. Of course, to the untrained eye, it would seem like he was just shy, and not as out-going as his sister. But to the brothers it was like a Neon sign saying: "here I am! I'm the bearer of Darkness! I'm also really uncomfortable about it!"

Koichi would recognize that look on the blond boys face anywhere. It was the same look that he wore every once-in-a-while. The closed-off, uncertain and slightly fearful expression of someone who was afraid of themselves for something that they hated. Kai held the look for a few minutes, before smiling and looking up, dark emotions buried underneath a mask of cheerfulness. The Dark twin recognised all the signs instantly and frowned. He had obviously been dealing with the burden of being a bearer of Darkness for much longer than he had, and the stress and shame for it showed so clearly that it was painful for the older boy. Here was a child who was suffering under the heaviest burden you could carry as a DigiDestined, and it was so obvious that he had no one to really confide in that it made Koichi wince. He knew that pain. Knew it intimately. The pain of wondering: "why? Why me? Why do _I_ have to be the one to carry this? Why couldn't it have been someone else? I don't want it". He knew because he had felt it often himself.

After he stopped being Duskmon. After his Spirits were purified he still thought those things every once in a while. And after they went back home, he still felt that pain. Though mostly because of nightmares. Mentally shaking himself out of those thoughts, he managed to place a smile on his face at about the same time his 'jr' looked up and smiled, "Koichi-Senpai! Are you and Koji-San feeling better now?" Kai asked as the group of three came to a stop in front of them. Koichi opened his mouth to reply, before Koji beat him to it, "don't call me 'San' it makes me feel old. I'm the same age as my brother" he muttered, looking away. "Sorry, anyway, I thought I'd introduce you to my family- well, most of them," Kai smiled at the girl next to him, "this is my twin sister Misa Jun Takashi, but we all just call her MJ" he explained. The brown-haired girl grinned and bowed, "nice to meet you both!" she said cheerfully. "This is our Papa" Kai said, smile fading just slightly.

TK smiled and bowed, "Takaru Takashi Sr, but everyone calls me TK" he held out his hand to the boys. Koji shook it unenthusiastically, while Koichi shook it happily. The Kimura indicated his brother, "This is Koji Minamoto and my name is Koichi Kimura," he bowed, "thank you for taking us in, we're both very grateful, aren't we Koji?" he asked, noticing his brother was still staring at their Foster family. He looked away, "yeah, thanks" he muttered. The bearer of the Spirits of Darkness sighed silently before straightening up, "I'm sorry about him, he doesn't like hospitals very much" he apologised on his brother's behalf. Takashi-San shook his head, "don't worry about it, let's get going to my house, and you can meet my wife" he said with a smile. Soon everyone was on their way back to the Takashi's house. As they walked, Koji and Koichi looked around. They couldn't help their eyes widening at the sight of so many Digimon. _'I guess in this world, Digimon don't do damage to the Real World just by coming here'._

As they walked, MJ spotted an ice cream van, "Papa, can we get Ice cream? Please?" she pleaded. TK thought about it, "well, lunch isn't for a little while- sure, let's get some ice cream" he decided with a grin. The group went over to the van and the man running it smiled at the kids, "good morning, what can I get for you today?" he asked happily. MJ look at the flavours, "ooh, can I have chocolate chip, please?" she asked politely. TK nodded, "and you Kai?" he asked, turning to his son. "Just chocolate thank you" Kai replied quietly. Koichi spoke up then, "may I have the same please, Takashi-San?" the older twin asked. Koji looked over the flavours silently, "Cookies and cream?" he suggested hesitantly. The adult nodded, "right, so that's one chocolate chip ice cream, two plain chocolate and one cookies and cream" he said to the man, while handing over the money. As the van owner was getting their ice creams ready, Koichi again looked around at all the people with Digimon in this world. It was like a dream come true for them, something that was impossible in their own physical world. Some part of him wondered what it was like to have a Digimon partner instead of becoming a Digimon yourself.

There were benefits that he could see. Like having a friend who would never leave you. Not having to worry that you wouldn't be strong enough. And having someone who could lift you up out of your hard times and cheer you up. They had to do all of that themselves. But despite it's difficulty, being a Legendary Warrior had it's benefits as well. By becoming the Digimon themselves, they had the experience and strength to fight their own battles. They were literally _one_ with their partners. Their Digimon Spirits were a part of them and gave them the confidence and power to protect the people that they loved _themselves_ instead of having to rely on someone else's power. Even when they'd had to leave the Digital World, _their_ Digital World and leave their Spirits behind, some of the strength they'd instilled in all of them was left behind. He had been able to feel Lowermon and JagerLowermon's presences in the back of his mind if he focused hard enough. Even if he could never become them again, being able to feel his other half (excluding Koji this time) was enough for him.

Koichi knew that many of them missed their Spirits. They'd become part of each other, and it was very hard to leave them behind. But now, at the very least both he and Koji had them back. They'd been reunited with their Spirits and, to him, that was more than enough to make up for not having a physical Digimon partner. "Here you go" a voice suddenly said, breaking him out of his thoughts. The Dark twin looked up at Takashi-San as he held out the ice cream that he'd ordered. Koichi took his chocolate ice cream with a smile, "thank you Takashi-San" he replied. Once everyone had their snacks, the group continued on to the Takashi family home. Looking over at Kai as he ate, Koichi knew that their mission was going to start soon, and they had to be ready.

The five soon arrived at the Takashi family household. It seemed alright, a two story building with a balcony on the top floor of one of the rooms and painted a cheerful yellow and red. The twins followed the others inside, where MJ let out a loud "we're home!" Soon a small dog with a golden collar around it's neck came running down the stairs, "Misa! You're back!" she squealed happily, practically leaping into the girls arms. MJ giggled, "nice to see you again too Salamon" she replied, stroking the dog Digimon's fine fur. "Kai, there you are, I've been waiting forever!" another female voice exclaimed in exasperation as Tokomon came into view from the living room. She walked over to the boy, who crouched down to pick her up in his arms, "sorry for making you wait Tokomon" he replied softly, scratching a spot between his Digimon's flat ears that always made her relax.

"Welcome home!" a female voice called from another room. Soon the woman came into view as well. She had shoulder-length brown hair and wore a pink shirt and white jeans. The woman walked over to the twin boys and smiled at them, "it's nice to meet you both, my name is Hikari Takashi, but everyone calls me Kari, I'm TK's wife and Kai and MJ's mother. I know you probably aren't very happy with this situation, but until we can find your parents, you're going to have to stay with us I'm afraid. Please, don't be afraid to ask about anything you might need to make your stay here more comfortable, I am a teacher after all, and my husband makes plenty of money from his books- they're best-sellers. So we'll be happy to help as much as we can, okay?" Kari asked, holding out her hand to the boys. Koichi smiled back and shook the woman's hand, before bowing, "thank you very much for having us, we appreciate your hospitality" he replied, truly grateful. After all, not only would this keep them from having to stay on the streets, but Kai and MJ were the very two children that they needed to help for their mission. And from what he had seen so far, the boy definitely needed his help.

To Be Continued


	3. Chapter 2

Hikari-San led them up the stairs to where the spare room was. Alongside walked a Gatomon, who the woman had introduced as her Digimon partner. Both boys carried Futons to set up in the room. Koichi listened quietly and attentively to what their host was saying, but still. His eyes couldn't help but be drawn towards the Gatomon. She walked on two legs for the most part, but four legs sometimes when necessary, like when she walked up the stair railing. It was strange, his Beast spirit was a leopard/lion-like Digimon, but even he didn't move like that when he was JagerLowermon. The Digimon looked up at him, "what?" she asked. The Dark twin instantly looked away, "n-nothing, sorry" he replied. Gatomon cocked her head to the side curiously. There was something about this boy. It wasn't particularly _bad,_ but it did make her nervous, no matter how kind and polite he seemed.

"Okay, here's where you two will be sleeping" Hikari-San said, opening a door that had enough space for both of them, the two Futons, two sets of draws for their clothes and a book shelf. "We'll have to go furniture shopping as well" the woman muttered to herself. Koichi shook his head, "oh no, please, you shouldn't have to go to all that trouble just for us Hikari-San" he replied quickly. But the brown-haired woman just smiled, "it's no problem at all, really, my husband and I make plenty of money, after all, I am a teacher you know. It'll be more than enough to buy a few bits of furniture" she replied cheerfully. The Dark twin frowned but nodded, "alright then, thank you very much" he replied. The woman clapped her hands, "alright, I'm going to go make lunch while you fix up your Futons- afterwards you can explore the house as much as you want so you know where everything is and I'll call you when I'm done, okay?" she asked. Koichi nodded, "sure, again, thank you very much for your hospitality Hikari-San" he said while bowing respectfully.

"You're very welcome Koichi-Kun, Koji-Kun" Kari replied as she left the room to go downstairs. Koji sighed as he looked around. At least they could stay together. Koichi began setting up his Futon on the floor, before looking up at his brother, noticing he hadn't moved from where he'd entered the room, "Koji?" he called. The Light twin blinked and turned to him, "yeah? What's wrong?" he asked. "Is something wrong?" Koichi asked, slight concern in his voice. "I just- *sigh*, I was barely able to accept having a Stepmom, now I have these strangers who are supposed to look after me- I don't know if I can do it" he replied. The Kimura scoffed, making Koji frown, "what's so funny?" he demanded. Koichi smiled, "it's not like they're asking us to call them 'Kaa-Chan' or 'Tou-Chan' or anything. They're just looking after us while we're here" the Dark twin said. Koji sighed, "yeah, I guess, I just- I don't really like having to stay with strangers that much" he replied, looking down.

"Well then, let's get to know them so they won't **be** strangers. Plus once we finish this mission we can go home, okay?" Koichi asked. Koji nodded silently. "Oh, and that's **not** an excuse to avoid them and be rude. We should be polite after everything these people have done for us, plus if we avoided them, that wouldn't actually be helping Kai out like we're supposed to. Lady Ophanimon gave us this mission for a reason Koji- only we can help that poor boy before he becomes another Duskmon. Not literally though of course, I mean before his Darkness is corrupted like I was." Koichi explained. His brother sighed, "right, right, I got it, I'll do what I can, but if some evil is after this kid, you're probably the only one who could do anything, with the experience that you have" the Light twin replied. The two boys then lapsed into silence as they finished setting up their beds.

 **Ḓ**

Soon after that Hikari-San called for lunch. Koichi and Koji walked downstairs, meeting up with Kai and MJ on the way. As the four children and two Digimon entered the kitchen, they smiled at the smell of freshly cooked food waiting for them. The two young Digimon rushed forwards to the two bowls that they currently had to eat from. When they Digivolved, they would probably use plates. Kai and MJ helped their Mama set the table, but when Koichi and Koji tried to help, the Takashi's waved them off. When lunch was set out, with extra portions for the two boys, the most awkward experience of the two black-haired boy's lives began. Hikari-San and MJ tried to ease the tension by striking up conversation. "So, Koji-Kun, Koichi-Kun, we noticed that you both have Digivice's, but no Digimon Partners. Is there a reason for that?" Hikari-San asked curiously.

Koji looked up and shared a look with his twin. Despite having been raised apart, both boys had shared a strong connection ever since they met. Koichi had a slightly concerned look on his face, but his eyes showed his confidence in his brother. The look said: ' _I trust you. If you want to tell them, I'll go with it'_. Koji nodded before turning back to the curious family in front of them, "well, our Digivices are actually called D-Tectors and the reason we don't have partner Digimon is, well-" he paused, unsure of how to explain this without mentioning other worlds. Obviously it doesn't work that way in this world's Digital counterpart, so they couldn't use that as part of the reason. Everyone was staring at him now, and the Light twin sent a well hidden look of panic at his brother. Koichi sighed silently, "it's because we turn into Digimon ourselves" he continued. Everyone stared at them with wide eyes, "it's true, if we had our D-Tectors, we could show you, but-" Koji said and shrugged.

"No way! You actually _turn into Digimon?!_ " MJ exclaimed excitedly. Koichi blushed slightly, "yeah, we do. When we Spirit Evolve, we become one of the ten Legendary Warriors, Digimon who fought and imprisoned a great evil many years ago in the Digital World. Each of the Warriors are aligned with one element each, and all of us have a Human form and a Beast form. My twin brother is the Warrior of Light, with the Human Spirit Lobomon and the Beast Spirit Kendo Garurumon. And I- am the holder of the Spirits of Darkness, Lowermon and JagerLowermon," he paused, eyes closed. Kai stared at the boy with wide eyes. So _that_ was why he felt drawn to Koichi and why he felt like he should call him 'Senpai'. He glanced back at his Papa, to see him with a slight frown on his face, but no other outward reaction. "So, these, 'Spirits' of yours. They aren't- evil, at all?" TK asked carefully. Koji scowled, "not anymore and never again, the Spirits of Darkness were once corrupted by evil, leading Koichi to be possessed and controlled." He paused.

"But thanks to Lady Ophanimon and Lord Seraphimon, I was able to free my brother from evil and purify his spirit, as well as the two Spirit's of Darkness. Now Koichi is able to use them to fight on the side of good" Koji explained. The Dark twin smiled at his brother, grateful for his faith in him. The Takashi family was silent for a moment, before Takashi-San smiled, "well, that's good, I'm glad your Digimon Spirit's were able to be purified by your brother" after that, he went back to his lunch. Soon everyone else hesitantly began to eat again.

 **Ḓ**

After lunch, MJ and Salamon decided to show Koji and Koichi around the house. Koichi still couldn't help but stare at the Holy Beast Type Digimon as she walked next to her human partner. The dog-like Digimon noticed the Dark twins stare, "what is it?" she asked. The short-haired boy jumped slightly, "oh, s-sorry, I'm still not used to seeing Digimon in the Real World, not to mention that the last Salamon I knew was one of the Celestial Digimon, so- it's just a bit strange" he explained. Salamon grinned, "really? I can Digivolve into one of the Celestials!?" she asked in awe. She pictured herself flying around as the angelic warrior Digimon, eyes wide in wonder. She quickly turned to MJ, "I can't wait to Digivolve Misa!" she exclaimed excitedly. The girl had quickly checked the Digimon Analyser on her Digivice, confirming that Salamon's Mega form was indeed Ophanimon- not that she doubted Koichi, but it was a little hard to believe that the two boys knew one of the Celestial Angels.

"It's okay if you don't believe me, but we actually know all three of the Celestial Angels, Seraphimon, Opanimon and Cherubimon" Koichi explained. MJ gasped, eyes shooting up to stare at the Legendary Warrior of Darkness, could he read her mind or something? The boy chuckled, "you were talking to yourself just now, and I heard you" he explained, shrugging. Misa blushed, "I- didn't mean to doubt you, but, it was just hard to believe" she said. Koichi shook his head, "don't worry about it, I don't mind" he said cheerfully. Koji glanced at the girl as he walked a little faster to stand beside his brother, "everything okay?" he asked suspiciously. His twin nodded, "yep, we were just talking a bit, that's all" he replied. MJ frowned. Why hadn't she believed Koichi? He was older than her and had a lot more experience. He might very well know the three Celestials, but she hadn't so she had to take his word for it.

"Um, Kimura-San?" she asked. The short-haired boy shook his head, "Misa-Chan, you may be younger than me, but I'm still a kid just like you, please, just call me Koichi, okay?" he asked. MJ nodded, "Koichi, could you tell me about the Celestial Angels you met? I'd be very interested to learn about them, especially since my partner might Digivolve into one of them one day" she continued. The Warrior of Darkness nodded, "of course, I'll be happy to tell both you and your brother about Lord Seraphimon, Lord Cherubimon and Lady Ophanimon" he replied cheerfully. Both the Digidestined of Light and her partner continued to show Koichi around the house for a while until Hikari-San called for them. Koji, Koichi, MJ and Salamon found her picking up her handbag and car keys, "we're going out to buy some clothes for you two and to find a couple of beds and a chest of draws for each of you" she explained.

"Oh, can Kai come? And the Digimon?" the girl asked. Hikari-San shrugged, "sure, if you get ready quickly" she replied. MJ grinned and ran off upstairs. Five minutes later, MJ walked downstairs with Kai, Patamon and Salamon. The two children pulled on their shoes and the group of eight went outside to get in the car. When everyone was inside the large van, the woman drove away from the house. The car ride was very quiet, or at least it was until Salamon and Gatomon began a conversation about what it was like being a humanoid angel Digimon. MJ joined the conversation eventually, since she was interested in this too. The dark-haired twins and Kai stayed quiet, with the blond boy mindlessly stroking Tokomon, who appeared to be in a state of bliss, if her absolute look of joy and contentment was anything to go by. Koji stared out the window, watching all the people and Digimon apparently as amazed by that as Koichi. Koji looked back at the driver, "um, Hikari-San?" he asked awkwardly.

"Yes Koji-Kun?" the brown-haired woman asked as she drove. "Well, I was just wondering how long this world has been in contact with your worlds Digital one?" the long-haired boy asked. Hikari-San hummed in contemplation, "hmm, well, my father-in-law was a Digidestined about 29 years ago, so I'd say about 29 to 30 years now?" she replied. The black-haired twins looked shocked by that, but Koichi quickly shook himself out of it, "wow, that's amazing, our world can't handle Digimon going there, they cause all kinds of problems and damage even when they don't actually attack" he explained. "Ah, I see, so that's why you're so shocked that Digimon can exist here" Hikari-San replied, nodding. Now it made sense. Soon they arrived at a big Shopping Centre "well, here we are, time to get to work" the brown-haired woman said cheerfully, getting out of the car with her Digimon partner by her side. Everyone else got out as well. Koichi winced at the size of the building. Anything bought from there was bound to be expensive.

"Um, Hikari-San?" he asked. Said woman turned to face him as she prepared to lead everyone across the road, "yes?" she replied. "I promise, we'll find some way to pay you back for all you've done for us" Koichi said with a bow. Hikari-San sighed good-naturedly. Despite only having known these boys for about a day, she could already tell that the boy wouldn't be giving up on that notion any time soon, "alright then Koichi-Kun. If you want to work somehow to pay us back you can," the Kimura smiled gratefully. "But you might want to hold off on that until we actually _buy_ anything" she said with a wink. Then the group headed towards the shopping center.

To Be Continued


	4. Chapter 3

Koji looked over the selection of clothes in the shop they'd gone to. As expected, none of the clothes were the same brands or exactly the same designs as the clothes he normally bought, but he managed to find an outfit that was as similar to his old one as possible. He had black pants and white sneakers with light blue lightning bolts on the sides. The shirt Koji found was yellow with a white version of the Symbol of Light from this Universe on the front. He also had a new bandana that was dark blue with light blue lightning bolts decorating it, along with a dark blue jacket. Koichi's new clothes were a long-sleeved maroon shirt, which was pretty identical to his old one. His jacket was now a sleeveless camouflage one with long white pants and black shoes. He had even found a dark blue cap much like his old one.

 **Ḓ**

They also got several other outfits, but those were the two they liked the most. Next was furniture shopping. Koji didn't mind too much what was bought for him, but Koichi was amazed that they were asking him what he wanted. He chose a white wooden frame of a single bed. The mattress was a normal single, but the bed sheets and pillow were Digimon themed. The Takashi's also bought two bedside tables and a set of draws each for their charges clothes. As they were walking through another clothing shop, Koji spotted something in the belts. There were ones with single pockets on them. Koichi found a black one, and Koji chose a white one. These were where they would keep their D-Tectors so that they would (hopefully) keep them from getting lost, stolen ect. At least after they got them back. After paying for their new furniture, Takaru-San had them set up to be delivered to their house later that day. After all of that the group went to go buy some lunch since they were out, they figured that it was fine.

 **Ḓ**

They walked around for a while searching for where they wanted to eat. As they were walking passed a tram line that travelled above them, an explosion caused many people to scream in terror. The twins stared up at the destruction, only to see a Tyranamon wrecking the tram line, and advancing towards the tram itself. "Patamon!", "Gatomon!" the two adults exclaimed, holding out their Digivices towards their partners. Light enveloped both Holy Beast Digimon, "Patamon Digivolve to…. Angemon!" the Angel Digimon cried. "Gatomon, Digivolve to…. Angewomon!" the female Angel exclaimed. Both holy Digimon took to the sky towards the attacking Tyranamon. Before following them, Takaru-San turned to them and their children, "stay here, your Digimon aren't strong enough to Digivolve yet" he said to Kai and MJ. Both Koji and Koichi knew that order was directed at them as well, since they didn't have their D-Tectors, neither boy could fight either.

Right now the two angels were preoccupied distracting Tyranamon so that he wouldn't attack the Tram. The Warrior twins could hear the passengers screaming onboard the tram as explosions rocked the vehicle. "Aargh! Damn it all! If only we had our D-Tectors, we could help them!" Koji cried in frustration. "I'm more worried about those people- if we could Spirit Evolve, we could get them out of there, but as we are now-" Koichi said, but cut himself off as the enemy Digimon sent an attack at the Tram, "Blaze Blast!" the Dinosaur Digimon cried. Just as the attack seemed like it was going to hit, Angemon flew in the way, taking the hit and blocking the people inside the vehicle. "Angemon!" TK screamed. Suddenly a buzzing sound was heard over the battle. Everyone looked up to see a huge blue insect-like Digimon. A red-haired man leapt from the Digimon as he touched the ground, "go help Angemon Kabuterimon!" the man called. Kabuterimon flew off as soon as the man touched the ground.

He ran up to the two black-haired boys, "so, you're Koiji and Koichi then?" he asked, digging around in the bag he carried, "my name is Koushiro Izumi, but everyone calls me Izzy," the now named 'Izzy' introduced himself. He pulled something out of his bag, "I believe these are yours" he said, holding out two devices to the boys. Their eyes lit up, "our D-Tectors!" Koichi said happily, taking the Device and finding Lowermon and JagerLowermon staring up at him. "TK called and told me about what you'd said, and I have to admit, I'm quite curious to see this 'Spirit Evolution' as well" Izzy explained. The twins looked at each other, before nodding. Koichi closed his eyes and raised his right hand above his head, while lowering his left hand that held his D-Tector. Koji held his D-Tector out in front of him, while putting out his right hand. The hands of each boy that weren't holding their Digivices, lit up with a white ring around them. Koichi brought his right hand down and his left hand up, clashing the ring with the top of his D-Tector. Koji crossed his arms, so his left hand which held his D-Tector was on the opposite side as his other hand. His right hand with the ring clashed against his Digivice which he held sideways. He lifted both arms above his head, "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" he exclaimed, pulling the D-Tector down and away from his other hand which was still above his head.

Koji become engulfed in a cocoon of light and after it disappeared Koji looked to be wearing slightly wolf-themed armour with a light blue and white colour scheme and a long blue and white scarf around his neck reaching almost down to his feet and wielding two Light-Sabre-like weapons "Lobomon!" he exclaimed. "Execute! Spirit Evolution!" Koichi cried, pulling his hand away from it, and becoming engulfed in a cocoon of light. When it faded the boy looked like he was wearing lion-themed grey and gold armour with decorative lion heads on his shoulders and the middle of his chest. He had a purple see-through lion-shaped shield on his left arm and held a long spear in his right hand "Lowermon!" Koichi exclaimed. Kai, MJ and Izzy stared in shock and awe, "they really can turn into Digimon" the red-head said in awe. "Wow" MJ whispered. Kai stared at the boy that he called Senpai. He could feel a very strong feeling of Darkness coming from this, 'Lowermon'. But it didn't feel evil.

It felt powerful, sure. But it also felt pure and good. Lowermon looked over at Lobomon, "I'll get the people out of there, you help the others distract that Tyrananmon, we need to keep his attention and attack away from the tram Koji" he explained. The Digimon Koji had become nodded, "I've got your back bro, get going!" he exclaimed, leaping into the air and landing on the supports of the tram line, scaling them with gymnastic grace. Lowermon turned to Izzy, Kai, MJ and the two children's Digimon, "I'll get the civilians off the Tram, I want you guys to protect them from down here if you can" he said. Then the Warrior of Darkness also scaled the Tram line supports, heading towards the tram itself. Meanwhile Koji headed towards the battered looking Angel Digimon. "Blaze Blast!" Tyranamon cried, shooting another fireball at Angemon. Said Digimon was too tired to move, but even if he could, he wouldn't. He needed to protect these people, even if that meant nothing more than taking attack after attack and shielding them with his body.

AngeWomon tried to shoot a Celestial Arrow at the Dino Digimon, but he just swiped his tail around and knocked the attack out of the sky. "Angemon!" she screamed in tandem with TK. Just as it looked like the attack would take him out a glowing blade sliced through the fireball, detonating it prematurely. When the smoke cleared, Koji as Lobomon was seen standing in front of Angemon, both Light Sabres glowing and crackling intensely with bright white light and showing his controlled rage, "not today" he said ominously, glaring at the Dino Digimon. Angemon rose slightly higher in the sky, "thanks" he said tiredly to his new ally. "No problem, my brother will get those people to safety, so until then, you think you can keep being a Digimon shield?" he asked. "Only if you're one too" the Angel Digimon replied. Meanwhile, Koichi reached the first car, quickly ripping away the door. Several people screamed when he did, "it's okay, I'm here to help" he said to the terrified people in the car.

Lowermon took account of the amount of people in the car, the children, elderly, Digimon and adults. "Alright, Children first! Please stay calm, I'm going to get everyone out" he called. The children lined up in front of him, many trembling and whimpering with fright. The Warrior of Darkness took several children into his arms and jumped down to the ground. Upon releasing them, Kai, MJ, Tokomon and Salamon called over to them, "come on, over here!" After he saw that the situation was under control their, Lowermon climbed back up to the Tram. He took several more children, quickly getting them down to the ground. As he continued to take people from the vehicle, Lowermon glanced over at the fight going on between the two Angel Digimon, his brother and the Tyranamon. They _were_ attacking the evil Digimon, but they had to be very careful to avoid hitting the tram that was behind the Dino. Koichi knew that he had to hurry, the longer he took getting these civilians to safety, the more the Digimon and his brother would have to take the attacks and get hurt, _without_ actually fighting back properly.

Lowermon was getting the civilians out of the Tram as fast as possible, but he could only carry so many people at once. Tyranamon fired a _huge_ fireball at the Tram. "No!" Koji cried, leaping in front of the attack. "Koji!" Lowermon screamed as he watched his brother get engulfed in a huge explosion. When the smoke cleared, Lobomon's form was entirely blacked out, Spirit floating in front of him with his Fractal Code entirely visible. Koichi was furious. "Lowermon Slide Evolution!" he cried, form switching from his Human Spirit to his Beast one, JagerLowermon. He leapt down from the tram, landing protectively in front of his twin. "That's it! I will never forgive anyone who threatens my brother!" he exclaimed. All the jewels on the jaguar-like Digimon's body glowed red and a huge dark purple energy coalessed above him, "Dark Master!" JagerLowermon cried. A huge ethereal version of himself appeared above and around his body.

Koichi roared and charged forwards, smashing right through the Tyranamon. The evil Digimon roared, before bursting into pieces of data and disappearing. Quickly changing back to human, the Dark twin rushed over to his brother, who had by now also returned to human form and appeared unconscious. "Koji!" he cried, kneeling by his side and checking him over for any serious injury. Takaru-San and Hikari-San came over with their children, "are you guys okay?" Hikari-San asked. Koichi frowned in worry, cradling his twin in his arms, "I'm not sure, Koji's still breathing, and in the Real World our human bodies don't have Fractal Code, but-" he drew in a shuddering breath, holding the other boy closer and trying to keep from tearing up. TK placed a hand on Koichi's shoulder, "why don't we take him to the hospital and just have him checked, okay? Then you won't have to worry so much" the blond man suggested gently.

Koichi wiped his eyes and nodded, "yes, right, let's go" he whispered. They took Koji to the hospital the fastest way they could: Angemon and AngeWomon flew them there. After they reached the hospital the two Angels Dedigivolved, collapsing as Patamon and Gatomon in exhaustion. TK carried Koji inside and called over the Doctors, "please, help my brother!" Koichi called desperately. A doctor rushed over to the group and began asking questions about what had happened. The Kimura was in shock and more than terrified. He sank to a chair and clutched his head in his hands. Now he knew the absolute terror Koji felt when he found him laying in that operating room with his heart stopped. If anything happened to his twin- he'd lose it. Koichi felt like he was falling. Just like when he'd been corrupted by Cherubimon. He'd fallen into a dark void that he couldn't escape from. His heart had been so deep in evil that if Koji had never found him. If his twin, his Light never purified his spirit, he'd still be trapped as Duskmon right now.

But now his Light was in danger of being snuffed out and he felt so helpless. Koichi felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up, he found Takaru-San looking at him sympathetically. The Dark Twin looked utterly miserable. "You know, you remind me of how my older brother and my brother-in-law acted towards me and Kari when we were young. They were more often than not overly protective of us. I wouldn't call you overly protective, and I know you have every right to care for and worry about your twin, especially when he's hurt. But if my experiences as a DigiDestined has taught me anything it's that the people we think we have to protect are often a lot stronger than we think. And that that strength can project itself in many different ways. In my case, it's my hope. I never give up, and I can always find the hope in any situation. What is your strength Koichi?" the blond man asked. Koichi looked down and pulled out his D-Tector. Lowermon and JagerLowermon stared up at him. "My desire to protect my brother. To never let myself be corrupted again. The belief of my friends and family. Those are my strengths" he said softly.

TK squeezed his shoulder in comfort. "Takashi-San?" a voice said from behind them. Both turned to see the doctor who'd treated both Koji and Koichi when they'd first been found and brought to the hospital. "Minamoto-Kun has been stabilized, his body had gone into shock, but we managed to revive him," the man began. The older twin sighed in relief, "for now it's in his best interests to keep the boy sedated until his nervous system relaxes. If it's alright with you, we'll keep you updated of his condition and when he wakes and is well enough to leave, we'll let you know" the Doctor explained. Koichi frowned, "can I see him?" he asked. The man looked like he wanted to protest, "please, he's my twin brother, I have to know that he's okay for myself!" the boy begged. The doctor sighed, "very well, but only a short visit, he needs as much rest as possible" he acquiesced. Koichi and Takaru-San were led to the room containing Koji.

The Dark twin looked nervous, but he took a deep breath and opened the door. There was Koji. Laying unconscious on the hospital bed with an IV drip in his arm and an oxygen mask over his face to help regulate his breathing. But he didn't look as bad as the older twin had feared. Koichi went up to his brother's side and gripped his hand, "Koji, I'm so sorry" he whispered. "I'm so, so sorry that I let this happen to you. But you'll be okay, I promise. I'll come visit every day until you're better. I'm gonna stay by your side as much as possible Koji, I won't let you be alone." Koichi tried to fight the tears that gathered in his eyes, tried to be strong for his twin, but he couldn't, "it'll be okay! I swear! As soon as you wake up I'll be here! I'll come running just like you did! I'll come, and I'll be right by your side when you wake up Koji, I promise you that" he sobbed. Eventually Takashi-San had to practically drag him away as his body refused to let go of his brother. When they finally left the hospital, Koichi absolutely broke down.

His body collapsed and he couldn't even move. All he could do was sob uncontrollably. Ever since he'd met Koji, the darkness inside of him wasn't just dark anymore. It had a spark of light within it. Like a Yin-Yang symbol. But now without Koji by his side, he felt that light slowly disappear. No. Koji wouldn't want him to give up! He would be fine. After he'd finished healing, they would go back to Takashi-San's house and continue their mission. Then they could go home. He had to be strong now. For his brother's sake. Koji never gave up on him. So he wouldn't give up on his brother.

To Be Continued


	5. Chapter 4

That evening when they got home, Takashi-San and Hikari-San helped set up the twins new bedroom. Koichi wasn't feeling very sociable right then though. He couldn't stop thinking about his twin. Hikari-San noticed his mood, "hey, thinking about Koji?" she asked. The Dark twin jumped, "how did you?-" he cut himself off. The woman smiled sadly, "because, if it was my big brother, I wouldn't be able to stop worrying about him either" she replied softly. Koichi clenched his fists, "I don't know what to do- I'm so, scared. If anything ever happened to him-" the boy clutched his head with both hands, "I can feel it you know. Evil. It's always after me. Always trying to corrupt me again" he paused.

"As long as Koji stayed by my side, I knew that it wouldn't be able to get me. But now, without him with me-" Koichi began shivering, his breathing erratic, "I'm terrified that I'll turn back into that monster!" the boy began sobbing, gasping for breath, "I can't! I can't do it on my own! I can't fight evil by myself! I **need** my brother, he's the only who can keep my Spirit's pure". The Warrior of Darkness continued to cry, his terror rolling off him in waves. Hikari-San reached over and pulled him into a hug, "I **hate** how much of a coward I am! I can't stand being so afraid all the time without my brother! I can't!" Kari said nothing, just began stroking the boys hair soothingly.

 **Ḓ**

That night Koichi lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. He never thought that his first night in this house would be spent without Koji. He tossed and turned, trying to get to sleep, but without any luck. The Kimura sighed, "of all times for me to be unable to sleep, it has to be during the big important mission, doesn't it?" he said to himself. The boy allowed his mind to wander. _'I hope Koji's alright in the hospital, even if he is unconscious'_ he thought. _'I have to get some sleep, Takashi-San said we could go visit my brother tomorrow, and I don't want to be exhausted when we do'._ Eventually Koichi managed to fall asleep. But it was the furthest thing from a restful sleep you could get.

 _(Koichi's nightmare) Koichi opened his eyes and found himself on a beach. Except this one was different. Everything was either black or grey. "What is this place?" he murmured, looking around. He knew that there was something wrong here. He could feel the darkness surrounding him, and it was the evil kind. Koichi shivered and began searching for a way out. As he walked, the boy felt an evil presence behind him. He quickly turned around. But he was alone in the strange place. He began walking again, looking around for anything familiar. After a few minutes, Koichi again felt evil wash over him, and he turned to look behind himself. Again there was nothing. The Dark twin shivered again and rubbed his arms to warm himself up. Koichi continued walking along the beach. Slowly a shadow engulfed his form. Upon seeing this, the boy panicked and began running. But the shadow kept up with him._

 _Eventually Koichi had to stop to catch his breath. He felt his pocket. The black-haired boy's eyes widened. He didn't have his D-Tector! The evil again came up behind him. Terror welled up inside him, and the boy whirled around, "who's there?! Show yourself already!" he demanded. But there was nothing. Koichi began shivering desperately as the air became colder and colder. He whimpered, "Koji, where are you?" he gasped. It was now so cold that it hurt to breathe. Koichi clenched his eyes shut, "It's not real, it's just a nightmare, it's NOT REAL!" he cried. Suddenly something hard and sharp pierced his back right between the shoulder blades. His eyes widened and he screamed. Oh god it burned! It felt like acid was being poured into his body from where he had been stabbed. Tears streamed from his eyes as he screamed in utter agony. "KOJI! HELP ME!" he cried, unable to move an inch as the agony moved through him. Koichi screamed at the top of his lungs. He couldn't take it anymore! (End nightmare)_ The boy bolted up in bed, screaming. As he become more aware of himself, he slammed his teeth together and stumbled out of bed _,_ half delirious with pain.

Managing to make it downstairs, Koichi nearly crashed into the bathroom. Frantically he tore at his pyjama top, managing to pull it off without ripping it by some miracle. When he finally had his top off, he inspected his back in the mirror. But what he saw didn't reassure his one bit. In fact he had to work even harder to keep from screaming in horror while his face became pale as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Right between his shoulder blades was a set of four deep puncture wounds. In the exact same place he was stabbed in his nightmare. The boy almost fell to the ground right then and there. Whatever evil was after Kai had contacted _him_ specifically and was _very real_. He shuddered in terror. Things had just gone from bad to worse. He didn't know whether this was a warning, an attack or a promise, but whatever it was it was not good.

 **Ḓ**

After bandaging his back, Koichi returned back to his room, but was in too much pain to lay on his back. He tried and within five seconds of his back touching the futon, he had to swallow a scream. Eventually he had to lay on his chest so as not to irritate his new wounds. However, after that most likely 'psychic nightmare' sleep was impossible. His back was in so such pain, he had to force himself to keep silent. Screwing his mouth and eyes shut, Koichi writhed on his bed, the burning feeling engulfing his body. Tears streamed from his eyes as he gasped. The pain wouldn't stop. In fact as well as spreading, it seemed to be getting worse. _'Koji, Kaa-San, please, it hurts!'_ he thought desperately. Eventually after hours of silent suffering, Koichi fell unconscious.

 **Ḓ**

The next morning the Warrior of Darkness was woken with a scream. His back was in agony. Stifling his cries, the boy remembered what had happened the night before. Quickly hurrying to the bathroom, making sure to keep his eye out for anyone, Koichi entered and locked the door with a set of his new clothes in hand. Deciding to have a cold shower, Koichi was relieved to find that cold water relieved the pain of his strange injury. After he'd finished and dried himself, being as gentle as possible with his back, the black-haired boy re-bandaged his wounds and got dressed. As he left the bathroom, he concentrated on keeping from showing how much pain he was still in. As he was so focused, he didn't notice Kai walking up towards him.

The two bumped into each other, and their eyes met for an instant. And Koichi instantly recognised the same look of repressed agony in the other boy's eyes. "Kai-" he said without thinking. The blond looked away and began to move around him, but the older boy grabbed his arm and pulled him up the stairs into his and Koji's bedroom. As he closed the door and shoved a sheet into the crack at the bottom, Kai stared at him, subtly shaking. Satisfied, Koichi turned to face his Kohai, "did you have a dream last night where you were walking on a beach and something stabbed you in the back?" he asked seriously. Kai's eyes widened, and the black-haired boy noticed how pale he was, not to mention his trembling form. The blond clenched his fists, "it hurts so much Koichi-Senpai, I-I don't know what to do" he stuttered, tears beginning to well up in the boy's eyes. "Let me see" Koichi ordered. The Takashi did as told and pulled his shirt up. As he turned around, the Warrior of Darkness narrowed his eyes at the four puncture holes in the younger boys back. Drawing in a shuddering breath, Kai turned back to the black-haired boy.

Koichi closed his eyes, and pulled up his own shirt and showed the other boy his back. Kai gasped, "what does it mean Senpai?" he asked, obviously terrified. Suddenly the Kimura felt his own fears fade. He was still scared, but in the face of this boy, who was younger than him and obviously terrified, he knew that he had to be the strong one. "I don't know, but whatever is after us, we'll stop it together Kai, okay?" Koichi asked. Kai stared at his determined face for a moment, before nodding, "yes Koichi-Senpai".

To Be Continued


	6. Chapter 5

"What do we do Senpai? Shouldn't we tell my parents about this? I mean if this thing is after us and can hurt us, even as Astral Projections in our sleep, then that means it's really powerful and absolutely real" Kai asked. Koichi looked to the side, deep in thought. Lady Ophanimon never said anything about this evil being after him as well. And he didn't have his brother with him at the moment. The black-haired boy's eyes widened. Was that part of that beings plan all along? Separate him from his twin, his Light so that he couldn't resist the corruption of evil again? Did the enemy want to turn him back into Duskmon? And what about Kai? What did _he_ have to do with this? Yes, he was a bearer of Darkness too, but having it only as his Trait, made him a lot weaker than he himself was as the Legendary Warrior of Darkness.

Maybe the enemy wanted Kai as some kind of battery for Duskmon? Urgh, no, no, no! That wouldn't be it. Maybe he wanted to steal the powers of Darkness _from_ him? Make Kai the new Duskmon instead? After all, Koichi himself had already been shown to be able to break from evil's control and _choose_ to stay good. Both Kai and MJ were younger and much weaker in their mental and spiritual strength. If the blond boy _was_ possessed by Duskmon, he doubted that Misa would be strong enough to defeat and purify her twin. Koichi thought long and hard about the possibilities, but couldn't come up with a better answer. But that still didn't explain why their mysterious enemy would go to all the trouble of marking them _both_. Maybe as insurance? Or maybe he didn't know which was which, and so was just going after both wielders of Darkness. That made sense. "Senpai?" the voice of the younger boy broke him out of his thoughts.

Koichi looked up at Kai, who was trembling with pain again, his blue eyes wide and scared. The ten year old looked so small and helpless, his fear clearly visible, while he breathed deeply and raggedly, trying to hold back his sounds of agony. The black-haired Digimon Warrior closed his eyes, trying to come up with anything to help. A form began to solidify in his mind's eye. Lowermon stood before him, matching his stare with his reddish-brown eyes, _"what do I do Lowermon? How do I help this boy?"_ Koichi asked desperately. This may have started out as simply a mission given to him by Lady Ophanimon, but despite it only having been a few days of knowing Kai, he could already say that he truly wanted to protect him and his family. He knew just how horrible it felt to be used by the forces of evil, to feel like you could never be _good_ just because of his Element. Kai was a very gentle and kind boy, but also very shy and unsure of himself. Just like he himself often felt. But Koichi knew that he always had Koji by his side to help him.

Even if Koji wasn't really _around_ at the moment. MJ may have also been Kai's Light, but even she didn't know how her twin brother felt very often. **_"It's true that Darkness is often prone to being corrupted by evil, as we were once. But as long as the people around those who bear Darkness are willing to protect their loved one no matter what, it is possible to fight evil without allowing Darkness to be corrupted. When I first lived, my own brother, AncientGarurumon kept me pure while I protected him. The relationship between yourself and your brother mirrors this. However, young Kai doesn't have the advantage of sharing a body with the Spirit of one of the Ancient's._** ** _His_** ** _Darkness is much more raw than your own, with no Spirit to lend mental support. Kai may have his own twin who is a bearer of Light, but both children are so young and inexperienced. I do not believe that they would be strong enough alone to drive off any evil that went after Kai"_** Lowermon explained to his human host.

 _"That's why Koji and I were sent here by Lady Ophanimon. To keep Kai from becoming a new Duskmon, and help Misa keep her brother pure, right?"_ Koichi asked. Lowermon nodded, **_"that is correct"_** he replied. The black-haired boy sighed and began pacing, _"if that's true, then I don't know what the Celestials think we can do. No offence to Lord Seraphimon, Lord Cherubimon or Lady Ophanimon, but I barely managed to get free of Duskmon last time, and that was only due to Koji's unwavering determination to save me from evil. Right now Koji's in a coma, some evil has marked both myself and Kai, and MJ isn't strong enough to protect both of us from whatever is coming!"_ he exclaimed agitatedly. **_"That is also true, but do not forget, Koji and Misa are not the only ones with the power of Light at their disposal"_** the Dark Digimon replied. Koichi stopped pacing and turned to face his Digimon Spirit, _"you're talking about Hikari-San aren't you? You seriously think it's a good idea to tell them everything?"_ he asked hesitantly.

Lowermon shrugged, **_"I don't see any reason why not. You've already told them everything else, and besides, if there really_** **is** ** _some evil Digimon, or entity after the two of you, don't you think Kai's parent deserve to know about it?"_** he replied. The Dark twin closed his eyes in thought. With their enemy's highly visible and straightforward move, it was true that he didn't have much of a choice anymore. Neither did Kai. Hiding the truth anymore would just be a horrible idea with the new information they'd gained. It would be better to talk to the two adults about this and get their support in watching for their enemy's next move than trying to keep everything a secret. Eventually Koichi nodded, _"alright, I'll tell the adults and their partners, but I'm not sure about the children and theirs. They might be too young to handle all of this properly"_ he said. The Legendary Warrior of Darkness raised an eyebrow, **_"aren't they only two years younger than yourself and Koji?"_** he asked. _"Yes, but the two of us had the experience of saving our Digital World once already, and everyone's grown up a lot because of that. These kids haven't been through anything nearly as dangerous, especially with the peace in their Digital World that Takashi-San told us about"_ the boy replied.

Lowermon shrugged again, **_"alright then, it's your choice, but just stick to the facts, okay? The Takashi's are bound to have questions, and that is the easiest way to give them the answers"_** the lion-like Digimon replied. Coming out of his Spiritual plain, Koichi found Kai and Tokomon to still be staring at him fearfully. Remembering the younger boy's question, the Kimura squared his shoulders in determination. He stared deep into blond boys eyes, trying to convey as much determination and courage as he could, "let's go talk to your parents Kai" he said seriously.

 **Ḓ**

Koichi, Kai, MJ, TK, Kari and the Digimon all sat in the living room. Kai looked very nervous and clutched Tokomon in his arms. "Alright, we're all here except for the obvious, what did you want to talk about Koichi-Kun?" Hikari-San asked. The dark-haired boy closed his eyes, "first, I want to tell you the truth about what my brother and I are doing here" he began. Takashi-San nodded seriously, "okay" he said calmly. While Kai was extremely nervous about how his Papa would react, his earlier reaction to finding out about Koichi-Senpai's Element gave him some hope that the man wouldn't start shouting at least. "We were sent here from our Human World by the Celestial Digimon from our Digital one, namely, Lady Ophanimon for an important mission," Koichi began. Hikari-San asked a question next, "may we ask what this mission is?" she inquired of the boy.

The Dark Warrior nodded, "Lady Ophanimon told us that there was another bearer of Darkness in this world, and that, if he didn't have things explained to him soon, he may end up like I was when I was corrupted and possessed by Duskmon," he explained. Hikari-San gasped with horror and stared at her son, who was holding Tokomon so tight that the little Digimon began to whimper. Thankfully, Kai noticed this and relaxed his hold quickly. Takashi-San said nothing, simply continued watching the boy in front of him. "It was the job of Koji and myself to teach Kai about the positive aspects of his Crest, and how MJ could help her brother keep his Darkness pure- however, Koji is now in the hospital in a coma, and something else has happened that has brought me to the conclusion that I can no longer continue my mission as this currently stand" the Kimura continued. Gatomon frowned, "what happened?" she asked. Koichi became utterly serious now, no trace of lightness in his tone or face at all.

This caused everyone present to grow concerned. "Last night I had a disturbingly realistic dream. I was walking along and beach, but everything was either black or grey and there was a distinctly evil feeling all around me," Koichi began, but before he could continue, Kari gasped with horror. He turned to the first bearer of the Crest of Light with a frown, "I take it you've heard of this place then?" he asked. Kari tried to compose herself, while TK gripped her hand and Gatomon climbed up on her partners lap. The woman's face was still a pale white colour, but she swallowed and compose herself enough to speak, "I've been their twice. It's called the Dark Ocean and it's a dimension that exists alongside the Digital World. Nothing good ever comes from that place. It's full of darkness that is pure evil and when people go there, more often than not they end up corrupted by it. Ken Ichijouji, another Digidestined was sent their as a child. He was normally a very sweet and kind boy, so much so that his Crest is that of Kindness" Kari shivered.

"Ken had an object called a Dark Spore inside of him, but it only began to influence him after he went to the Dark Ocean. He became cruel and twisted, did horrible things. We eventually managed to snap him out of it and he went back to being kind and caring. But the Dark Ocean is Kens worst nightmare, and he's always afraid that he'll go back to being the Digimon Emperor because that Dark Spore is still inside his body. The Dark Ocean did that to him, and if you had a dream of that place it can only be because it's calling to you. I once had dreams of the Dark Ocean as well and it eventually drew me there as well." The brown-haired woman explained. Koichi nodded, "I see, well I'm afraid that what I saw was more than just a dream," he began. Everyone looked up at him, except Kai, who'd begun shivering uncontrollably. "Kai had the same dream as me: we were walking alone along the shore of the Dark Ocean. We feel an evil presence behind us, but when we turn to look, there's nothing their" Koichi paused and took a breath, this had been really traumatizing for him, to be in such a position all alone.

"We keep feeling this presence but every time we look there is nothing behind us. As we keep walking a shadow slowly engulfs us from behind and we panic and start running." As Koichi continued explaining their shared dream, Takaru-San and Hikari-San are looking more and more worried. "We eventually have to stop for breath and the evil presence comes up behind us and we whirl around trying to find what or whoever is following us but there's nothing. The cold is so intense by this point that it begins hurting our throat and lungs just breathing. Suddenly something hard and sharp stabs us in the back right between our shoulder blades. It hurts so much. It's like acid is being poured into our bodies from the stab wounds, burning through us and making us scream uncontrollably. We can't move, can't do anything except scream as the pain spreads through our bodies. Then I woke up. But the pain was still there. I managed to stumble downstairs, somehow keep from screaming or falling or both before finally making it to the bathroom.

When I got inside I checked my back, but what I saw horrified me, and even now, I still can't explain how it's possible" Koichi clenched his teeth, fighting the pain again. It was starting to get worse the more he talked about it. "What did you see on your back?" MJ's Salamon whispered. In response the black-haired boy stood, turned around and pulled his jacket and shirt off, making everyone's eyes except for Kai's widen in horror. No one could speak for a long moment as their eyes examined the four puncture wounds on the boys back. Hikari-San covered her mouth with her hand, "oh god" she whispered. Koichi clenched his teeth, "that's not even the worst part" he muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear him. Looking over at Kai, the boy took that as his cue to stand and also remove his shirt. Kari began tear up and TK stood up quickly, walking over to his son and gently examining the boys back. "Kai" he whispered, voice strained. Tears began to stream from Kai's eyes, "it hurts Papa," he sobbed, turning back to face his father, face contorted in pain and body freely trembling now that he was no longer holding them back.

When he turned around his Crest of Darkness was clearly visible hanging around his neck, but TK didn't even care about that anymore. All that mattered was that his child was trembling and sobbing in pain, tears streaming down his face. His baby boy was suffering, all because of this evil being. TK held him close, stroking Kai's hair, since he didn't want to hurt the boys back anymore than it already was. MJ looked horrified for her brother and quickly took her twins hand, holding it tight in her own. Koichi smiled slightly, but it came out in a grimace due to the pain he was still in. Kari noticed the slightly older boy's situation and pulled him into a hug as well, while being mindful of his own injury, "I promise we'll do everything in our power to help you with your mission Koichi-Kun. Well all work together to stop this evil, whatever it is" she promised.

Koichi let out the breath of air he didn't even realise he was holding. Slowly he let tears of agony trail down his face, shaking due to the pain of the puncture wounds on his back. He was more relieved than he thought he would be. She wasn't his brother, and he was still worried about his twin. But he was no longer as scared as he had been. Even if she wasn't Koji, Hikari-San still held the Crest of Light. Even with the worry about the enemy they faced, the woman's Light still managed to balance and soothe his inner Darkness somewhat. Plus if they all worked together, he was sure they would win. They had to.

To Be Continued


	7. Chapter 6

Later on that day after breakfast, Koichi went with TK and Patamon to the hospital. Kari had work and MJ had school, while Kai stayed home due to his condition. But the blond man _had_ promised him that they would come back to visit Koji today. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. It had only been two days since he and Koji had gotten out of the hospital the first time. But it felt more like a month with everything going on. The black-haired boy felt his back burn and he clenched his teeth and fists. The pain hadn't lessened at all since he'd got the injury late last night, but at times it seemed to get worse instead of better. He didn't know how he was going to explain this to Koji when he woke up. Not to mention that he had _no clue_ how to explain to their Mother where he got the wounds from after they went home again. Takashi-San noticed his discomfort and frowned as they walked, "back hurting again Koichi-Kun?" he asked gently.

"About the same as before actually" he muttered. Takashi-San frowned, "has it been hurting this whole time?" he asked. Koichi looked down but nodded silently. "Why don't I pick up some pain medication from the pharmacy on the way back? You _are_ under my care at the moment, and I'd hate to just let you suffer without doing anything about it" the blond suggested. The Dark twin grimaced, but shook his head, "I don't want to be a burden Takashi-San, you've already done so much for me and Koji both- it wouldn't feel right letting you do anymore" Koichi replied. Takashi-San stopped and levelled him with a firm stare. It wasn't an angry look, just firm, "you're not a burden on anyone Koichi. You are a kind and gentle boy. In fact you remind me a lot of Ken, and not just your similar looks but you personality and history as well. We are helping and looking after you because we want to, no one is making us do it, and besides, you're here to help my son, right?" he asked, smiling at the end.

Koichi looked down, he did have a point, but, "we can try some medications, but I'm not sure how well they'd work, I have a feeling that these wounds are less physical than they look" he replied eventually. Patamon frowned, "what does that mean?" he asked. Both Digidestined and Digimon were looking at him curiously now, so he figured that he may as well tell them, "do you remember how I told you about how I was once possessed by the corrupted forms of my Spirits?" he began. Both of them nodded, "I remember, you said that Koji was the one who purified you and freed you from their control" Takashi-San replied. "Well, back when I was in the Digital World, I wasn't exactly- all their" Koichi explained. "I had fallen down the stairs at the Shibuya Station, ending up in a coma. But my spirit was drawn to the Digital World where I ended up having the dark feelings in my heart taken advantage of by an evil Digimon. He twisted my thoughts and emotions towards my Papa, Mother and brother, then forcefully possessed me with the corrupted Spirits of Darkness.

I ended up there for a long time. Even after I was freed of evil, I was still nothing more than a spirit, my physical body was still back in the Real World. Because I was a spirit for so long, I can tell that the wounds on my back are less physical than Spiritual. Whoever our enemy is, didn't mark my real body, only my spirit, but since the two are so closely connected, it seems like a physical wound when it isn't" the three were silent a while, before Takashi-San sighed, "I see, your Digital World is a lot more complicated than ours, huh?"he asked. Koichi shrugged. "Alright, but I still think some pain medication might at least _help_ " Takashi-San decided. The black-haired boy nodded, "alright then Takashi-San, you are the adult here after all" he replied. The blond raised an eyebrow, "okay, I understand being polite, but you're going to be living in my house for the next who-knows-how-long. You _can_ call me TK you know" he said, amusement colouring his voice. The Kimura blushed and shook his head, "oh no, I couldn't do that, it wouldn't be polite after everything you've done!" he exclaimed quietly.

Takashi-San frowned, "please? You're the only wieldier of Darkness I've met that _hasn't_ been evil. Except for my son of course. I want to get to know you better. You and your brother. I want to do this not only for you, but to show Kai that I really _don't_ hate him because he has the Crest of Darkness. That even though I don't particularly _like_ it, that there are some cases, like his and your own, where the powers of Darkness can be used for good. I want to be able to understand my son, but every time I try to talk to him it just gets awkward. I'm hoping by showing him that I accept _you_ , it will let him see that I accept _him_ as well" he explained. Koichi frowned, "I don't think that's a good idea. Instead of avoiding your son and using me as his substitute, you should be talking to _him_ about all of this instead. I haven't had a chance to talk to Kai one-on-one yet, so I can't be sure, but I've seen enough to know that Kai is very sensitive and shy, just like I am around most people.

He also very insecure about his Crest and he hates himself for it. I know, because I felt exactly the same way after I was freed from Duskmon. I hated myself for what I'd done, and I couldn't believe that I could ever do _good_ things after all the horrible ones I'd done. There was even a part of me that _wanted_ everyone's hatred, distrust and anger because I felt like I deserved it. It was when I'd hit my lowest point. When I truly believed that Darkness couldn't be used for anything but evil and therefore I would always be evil, that I remembered the words of a Patamon that had once been Seraphimon. He'd told me that Darkness didn't have to be a bad thing unless you _choose_ for it to be. That was when I fought back. I _chose_ to be good because I _wanted_ to be, I swore that I'd make up for what I'd done and that I'd rather die than betray my brother. That was when Koji's Light illuminated me and gave me my own D-Tector and purified Spirits. Darkness is a very heavy burden to bare, and it's very easy for it to become corrupted- but Darkness itself is not evil. As long as your son has his twin, or even his mother, Kai will never become evil- instead he can use this power he's been given to _protect_ his loved ones and both worlds that he cares for".

TK thought over the boys words for some time as they entered the hospital and, after explaining why they were there, a nurse came to escort the two to Koji's room. Koichi wasn't as worried or nervous as he had been the day before, but he still needed a moment before he could enter the room. Again Koji was found unconscious, laying on the bed with tubes and wires sticking out of various parts of his body. Koichi wasted no time in reaching his twins side, sitting down and gripping his hand. TK followed silently behind him. The black-haired boy was now focused solely on Koji, not even flinching from the pain in his back. "I'm here Koji. I told I'd be back didn't I? I hope you're feeling at least a little better after the rest you've had so far. Unfortunately I couldn't get much sleep last night, but that was partly because of how much I missed you and partly because of something else. You know, they say that people in coma's can hear what you're saying to them, so I won't tell you until you're fully recovered. After all, I know you have a tendency to overly worry, especially about me. So I'll let you rest as much as you need, then when you're awake again we can talk about what's been going on, okay?" Koichi asked.

He knew he'd started rambling a bit, but he didn't care. It was true he wanted Koji to wake up as soon as possible, but he also couldn't help but be glad that he was unconscious here where he would be in less danger than fighting on the front lines. Truthfully the Dark Warrior was very split in deciding how to feel. It was true that he _wanted_ his brother to get better. He wasn't safe like this, especially if their enemy could attack ones spirit. Koji was in a Coma. Whether Koji's spirit had ended up in the Digital World or not, it was still highly possible that whatever evil that was after them, wouldn't think twice about trying to kill the boy while he was unable to defend himself in any way. The spirit is a very fragile and vulnerable thing. While it hadn't seemed like it for him back when he'd been one, Koichi knew that he'd only been so seemingly 'invulnerable' due to his body being kept alive in the Human World. If the body that's elsewhere dies, the spirit fully detaches itself from the body and moves on to whatever higher plain there was.

However, as proven by his own experiences, if the body is kept alive, it's possible for the spirit to return to the body before it dies, rejoining the two together as one. But if the spirit itself is what dies, then there's no going back. The body dies and it's dead for good. That was what had nearly happened to him back during the final battle against Lucemon. But Koji's love for him and everyone's desperation had allowed their D-Tectors to revive him somehow. Drew his spirit back to his body and reconnected the two again. This literal near-death experience had given and taught him many things, including heightened senses regarding Evil and Darkness, as well as the state of a person's spirit, as he was using now. Koichi decided to check on his brother's, just to make sure everything was okay.

He closed his eyes, breathed slowly and deeply and focused on Koji. TK and Patamon could tell that he was doing something very important, so they let the boy do what he needed to. Koichi felt his own spirit sink into his brother's body. When he felt the shift from soothing Darkness to bright Light, he opened his eyes. Only to scream out loud. Koji's spirit! It wasn't their! It was _missing_ from his body. The body of his brother was basically an empty shell, like his had been while he'd been in the Digital World. Horrified, Koichi checked every part of the body he could, but the Light Twin was not there. He paled. Had their enemy gotten to Koji's spirit already?! Suddenly he felt a familiar power brush against his mind. Koichi flinched, recognising this being, even without the corrupting taint of evil. Lord Cherubimon had taken his brother for some reason. It wouldn't be for anything bad, Koichi was sure. After being purified, the Beast type Angel had gone back to being the good Celestial Digimon that he was before.

But what he couldn't figure out was _why_ Lord Cherubimon had taken Koji's spirit from his body in the first place? The Dark Twin sighed, relaxing. There was nothing more he could do here. The only thing he _could_ do was continue his mission and hope that the Celestials provided some answers soon about all of this. Slowly retreating from his brother's body, Koichi slumped against the visitor's chair he was sitting in, gently releasing Koji's hand as he did. Patamon flew up to him, as TK knelt down next to the boy, "Koichi, what's wrong?" he asked softly. The boy sighed again, running his hand through his hair, "Koji's gone," he muttered. Patamon frowned and flew over to the comatose boy, "he seems fine to me" he replied. The Warrior of Darkness exhaled, trying to relax his body "I'm not talking about his body Patamon, Koji's spirit is completely gone, there's no trace of him left in that body" he explained, clutching his forehead. Along with the pain in his back, his head was now aching.

"It's not all bad news though- it turns out that the one who removed Koji's spirit is most likely Lord Cherubimon. If that's true, then it means the Celestials from my world have a plan in mind, but they _need_ Koji. Since his body is currently unable to function normally, they may have found a way around this-" Koichi groaned and leaned forwards in his seat. TK stepped forwards, "Koichi?" he asked carefully. The Legendary Warrior grabbed his head with both hands. It was pounding. Slowly the pain in his back increased from a mildly strong burning sensation to the full out burning/melting feeling from his nightmare of the Dark Ocean. Koichi screamed, body shaking as he was engulfed in agony once more, he fell limply from his chair and landed on the ground, writhing and screaming non-stop. He could barely feel TK grab his shoulders and hold him close, could faintly hear the man screaming for help to the doctors. The pain encompassed every part of his body and mind, and his D-Tector fell from his pocket in all of his writhing and squirming.

He wanted it to stop, he couldn't take anymore. _'Koji please help me!'_ he begged in his mind, praying that wherever his twin was that he could hear him. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was a blurry vision of a terrified TK through his tear filled eyes.

To Be Continued


	8. Chapter 7

The doctor examined Koichi thoroughly. TK and Patamon watched the boy with worry. When the female doctor found the puncture marks on the black-haired child's back, TK explained that an evil Digimon was after him and that he had attacked Koichi when no one was around. It was technically the truth. The woman prescribed a pain medication, and was about to send them on their way when a familiar group of people walked through the hospital doors. TK rushed over when he saw Kari carrying Kai in her arms, trailed by a teary MJ. "What happened!" the blond man exclaimed in worry. The doctor went up to them, "what happened?" she asked, taking Kai from his mother. "He just collapsed in School!" MJ sobbed, "he kept writhing around on the ground and screaming, no matter what anyone did, he wouldn't calm down. I didn't know what to do, so I called Mama" the brown-haired girl cried, tears trailing down her face in terror.

Salamon, who was sitting on her shoulder, rubbed her cheek against her partners to try and comfort the girl. TK frowned, "that's the same thing that happened to Koichi-Kun earlier when we were visiting Koji-Kun" he replied. Kari frowned, "do you think those wounds on the boys backs had to do with it?" she wondered. TK nodded "I do, we also found out that one of the Celestials from their Digital World has taken Koji's spirit from his body for some reason" he explained. Salamon frowned in confusion, "why would they do that?" she asked. TK shook his head and shrugged, "don't know, but Koichi is certain that it's for a good reason" he replied. When another doctor came up to them, everyone asked about the two Bearers of Darkness. "The two boys are fine. They're unconscious right now, but they seem to have relaxed considerably. They should be recovered enough in about half an hour to take home. Just make sure you keep an eye on them" the man explained. Kari nodded and smiled, "thank you very much doctor, we'll look after them" she said.

After they had gotten an early lunch, they took the two boys home and placed them in their beds. MJ stayed by her brother's side along with both their Digimon partners. For convenience, both Kai and Koichi were placed in the same room while they were being looked after. A while later, Kari checked Kai and gasped, "TK!" she called. The man rushed over to his son. What he saw made him shudder. Kai's Crest was glowing purple and pulsing like a human heart. "What is happening?" he muttered. MJ gripped her brother's hand, "what do we do Papa?" she asked worriedly. Tokomon whimpered and nuzzled her partner. TK clenched his fists and let out a breath, "I think we need to call Gennai, he's the only one I can think of that would know what to do in this situation" he said. Kari nodded, but she was reluctant to leave her son's side. She started to stand, before TK stood, "no, no, I got it" he said, picking up the home phone and dialling Izzy's number.

"Hello, Izumi residence" a young girl said when she answered the phone. "Hi Lexy-Chan," TK said with a smile, "is your Tou-San home?" he asked the 7 year old. "Tou-San and Tentomon should be home for lunch any moment, if he's not back during this conversation, I'll let him know to call you when he does get back" Lexy replied politely. "Thank you very much" TK said. "It's no problem at all Takashi-San, goodbye for the moment" the red-haired girl said before hanging up. The blond man hung up as well, and looked over at his son and charge. He felt so helpless at the moment. Both boys began to scrunch their faces and whimper in their sleep. MJ frowned in worry, gripping her twin's hand, "what's wrong with them?" Tokomon asked. "The stab wounds on their backs?" The brown-haired girl suggested. Kari shook her head, "no, I have a feeling that's not it this time. It's something else" she said with a frown. "I don't know, I think it's related to that, or the Digimon who caused them at least". MJ replied.

"So? What do we do?" Salamon asked. "Just wait," Gatomon replied, closing her eyes with a sigh.

 _(Within Koichi's mindscape) The black-haired 12 year old found himself alone in a dark place. He didn't know what it was, but the area he seemed to be in didn't feel scary. It felt safe, despite the ominous feeling others might experience in such a place. The darkness around him felt warm and calming. Koichi relaxed. At least he did for a moment. Suddenly a shudder went through him. The boy stared around himself, "hello? L-Lowermon?" he called. He prayed that it was his Digimon Spirit, but part of him knew that if it_ _ **was**_ _Lowermon, he'd recognise him right away. Koichi hugged himself as the area seemed to get colder and colder, "hello!" he called. He_ _ **really**_ _wished that Koji were here. "Where are you Lowermon!" he cried. At the moment he had nothing to protect himself with, and the Spirit of AncientSphinxmon seemed to be gone. Koichi closed his eyes. No, focus. Don't let your fear take control. If Lowermon_ _ **were**_ _here, he'd tell him the same._

 _The Kimura took a deep breath. Be calm. Suddenly he sensed something and turned. There was a light coming towards him through the dark "Hello?" he called out. "Hello?" a faint voice called back. Koichi felt his heart drawn towards this person. They seemed so familiar. Koichi squinted at the light. As it got closer, there was a definite silhouette of a person, around his own height within the glow. "Who's there?" he asked, "Koichi?" the voice asked. The Dark Twins eyes widened, that voice. It was, "Koji?!" he cried. "Koichi!" his brother cried, rushing forwards quickly. Koichi ran as fast as his legs would carry him, almost knocking his brother down as he ploughed into the long-haired boy, "Koji, oh my god!" he exclaimed, clutching his twin like a lifeline. "Koichi, I'm so sorry!" the Light twin cried, gripping onto his brother just as hard, but strangely Koichi couldn't feel the pressure. "Where did you go?! Your body is empty Koji, your spirit- what the hell is going on?!"Koichi demanded to know._

 _The younger twin shook his head, "there's no time! Koichi, you've got to get out of here, it's not safe!"Koji demanded. "What? What are you talking about? Please, just_ _ **talk to me Otouto!**_ _" Koichi screamed, squeezing his brother's arms. Koji didn't flinch, but his eyes welled up with tears, "I can't-" suddenly an evil feeling spread through the darkness, "he's here! Get out of here, hurry! I can't hold him off for long!" Koji exclaimed, looking around in determination. But Koichi was shocked to hear the_ _ **fear**_ _in his brother's voice. "Koji-!" he cried desperately, but with an almighty shove, the other boy pushed him so hard the he felt himself begin to exit his mindscape, "please, just GO!" Koji begged. "Koji! NO KOJI!" the short-haired boy screamed, as his brothers light faded away. (Exit Koichi's mindscape)_

Koichi's eyes snapped open and he shot up into a sitting position, "Koji!" he cried, hand held out until his vision cleared and he realised where he was. "Koichi-Kun! You're awake!" Hikari-San exclaimed, moving over to him. "Koji! I saw my brother in my mindscape! There was some kind of evil, and Koji was there and-" he gasped, but Hikari-San placed her hand on his shoulder, "please, try to calm down Koichi-Kun, it's okay-" she began, but the boy shrugged her off, "you're not listening to me!" he exclaimed. "We **are** listening to you Koichi, but you're nearly hysterical right now, please, try to calm down, okay?" TK asked. The Dark twin felt tears well up in his eyes and clenched them tightly, but he tried to calm himself. When he felt like he wasn't about to burst into tears, he began to explain what he had experienced in his mind. "Koji-Kun is inside your mind? So what, he's Astral Projecting his spirit into it?" MJ asked, frowning in confusion.

"Something like that, yeah," the boy replied, "but there was this evil, and Koji was fighting it. He said that there wasn't time to talk and that wouldn't be able to hold what or whoever it was back for long," he looked up at the adults and MJ, "he seemed really panicked about it- I'm worried about him. What if he can't beat it on his own? What if that evil hurts him or worse!? What do I do? I feel so useless just sitting here, knowing that he's fighting this battle _for me_ , but I can't do anything to help!" the short-haired boy sobbed, "and what if his body gives out! What do I do? What happens if I can't revive him the way he and the others did for me? If Koji dies-" Koichi shook his head, unable to continue. Hikari-San hugged the boy, "we won't let that happen. No matter what, we'll figure something out Koichi, I swear to you, alright?" she asked. Koichi took a deep breath and released it. Then he hugged the first DigiDestined of Light back, "thank you, all of you. For everything" he sighed. _'Koji, I promise, we'll find some way to defeat this evil together. And then we'll both go home'_ Koichi thought.

Then he opened his eyes and looked around sadly, _'but I don't want to leave Kai all alone again'_.

To Be Continued


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